Hindu Woman Denied Abortion in Catholic Ireland Dies

Savita Halappanavar, 31, a Hindu woman, admitted to University Hospital Galway in the west of Ireland, died of septicaemia a week after miscarrying 17 weeks into her pregnancy. She was denied a life saving abortion by Catholic Ireland – Irish abortion laws denied a termination because Catholic Church is against Abortion

No words can console the irreplaceable loss of Savita Halappanavar. Let she attain Moksha and never suffer in this ignorant world.

Death of Savita Halappanavar is nothing but a cold blooded murder of a human being who could have been easily saved. It does not matter whether the woman is Catholic or Hindu. It is pure commonsense that prime importance should be given to the life of the mother - she might have other children / she can in future give birth to more healthy children. Those responsible should be tried for murder. Government of India should make sure that those responsible for the death of Savita Halappanavar are punished and the victim’s family is given justice.

Secondly, as the death of Savita Halappanavar happened because of a religious rule – How can catholic rules be applied on a Hindu woman? When Savita Halappanavar pleaded that she was not a Catholic – why was she denied the life saving abortion.

This incident once again proves that minority religious fundamentalists decide the fate of innocent people in all religions. And the so called secular and educated people support such rules. Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita that there is nothing worse that not performing one's Dharma. The duty of the doctors is to save lives not follow dictates of fundamentalists.

It is also encouraging to see that large protests are taking place in Ireland against this monstrosity.

The Hindu reports “In an attempt to save a 4-month-old foetus they killed my 30-year-old daughter. How is that fair you tell me?” A. Mahadevi, Halappanavar’s mother, told several Indian television stations. 

“How many more cases will there be? The rules should be changed as per the requirement of Hindus. We are Hindus, not Christians,” she said. 

Savita Halappanavar’s father, Andanappa Yalagi, said the combination of medical negligence and Irish abortion laws led to his daughter’s death.

Hindustan Times reports 

Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist, repeatedly asked staff at University Hospital Galway in western Ireland to terminate her pregnancy because she had severe back pain and was miscarrying, her family said. 

But they replied she could not have an abortion because Ireland was a Catholic country and the foetus was still alive, her husband Praveen told the Irish Times. 

"Savita was really in agony. She was very upset, but she accepted she was losing the baby," the 34-year-old told the newspaper by telephone from the Karnataka region of southern India.
"When the consultant came on the ward rounds on Monday morning Savita asked if they could not save the baby, could they induce to end the pregnancy.

"The consultant said, 'As long as there is a foetal heartbeat we can't do anything.'

"Again on Tuesday morning, the ward rounds and the same discussion. The consultant said it was the law, that this is a Catholic country.

"Savita said: 'I am neither Irish nor Catholic' but they said there was nothing they could do."

Halappanavar died of septicaemia, or blood poisoning, on October 28, a week after she was admitted. The foetus had been removed on October 23 after its heartbeat stopped.